Sala Lodges, Siem Reap, Cambodia

It took more than two years to find 11 disused and authentic Khmer houses in local villages before transporting each one back to this unblemished plot on the edge of Siem Reap and refurbishing them. The results are spectacular: the weathered, stilted villas (dating from 1956 to the 1980s) look like they have always been here, surrounded by orchids and shady trees, a green sanctuary in a town that can feel maddeningly busy and dusty. The French and Swiss owners clearly have an eye for hospitality that goes beyond the architectural: all the staff, from the general manager to the cleaners, are impossibly kind and helpful; the food, a mix of Khmer classics including fish amok and hotel staples such as a club sandwich, is served in a sleek space with blackboard menus and polished-concrete floors. Outings and day trips highlight local culture as much as the temples of Angkor Wat, with bikes to explore the fluorescent-green paddy-fields and nearby villages, and tuk-tuk rides through town. If there's one quibble, it's with the mosquitoes attracted by the canals in the grounds, and some light sleepers might consider the barking dogs and crowing cockerels a nuisance. But most will find it all charmingly authentic, especially considering the price.

FLASH POINT

The villas have just the right amount of added luxury, with big rain showers and king-size beds.

Owner's Cottage at Matakauri, New Zealand

This must be the ultimate New Zealand escape, in a spectacular location overlooking Lake Wakatipu, just minutes from South Island's adventure capital, Queenstown. Built in the elevated grounds of Matakauri Lodge - the third in Julian Robertson's portfolio, which also includes The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs and The Farm at Cape Kidnappers - this cottage, available with either two or four generous bedrooms (each with a sitting room and bathroom), is ideal for families or groups of friends. Acclaimed Auckland interior designer Virginia Fisher has lavished her unique style throughout. It's the little things that give her designs such a sense of place: a silver rabbit rug, reindeer skins, and blankets made by the artisans who created costumes for The Lord of the Rings. You can absorb the cinematic views from the hot tub on the front balcony, while the adjacent lakeside terrace is the spot for sundowners; help yourself from the bar or cellar. Don't feel like dressing up for dinner at the lodge? No problem, there's a barbecue and kitchen, and the chef can come to you.

FLASH POINT

When the global financial crisis hit the rest of the world, New Zealand must have been far enough away not to feel it.

Telephone: +64 3 441 1008Website:www.matakaurilodge.com. Price: From about £4,760 per night for four guests, half board

Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland, Canada

This place redefines getting away from it all. On an island off the coast of Newfoundland, at the furthest eastern reach of Canada, accessible only by ferry or tiny prop plane, the inn stands - on stilts - at the very edge of the roiling Atlantic. It makes no attempt to blend in: this is bold modern architecture, a long, cross-shaped building four storeys tall. And yet, with its driftwood-white walls, minimalist interiors, and furniture and textiles made by local craftspeople, it also seems perfectly in keeping. It can go toe-to-toe with any world-class, five-star hotel: big rooms, dreamy beds, hot tubs on the roof, superb food made using seasonal ingredients. But the island and the restless ocean are the real stars, showcased through floor-to-ceiling windows, particularly stunning in the dining room with its double-height ceiling. Founded by Zita Cobb, an islander who made millions in fibre-optics, the inn is run by a charitable foundation that feeds profits back into the community. You are encouraged to join a guide and explore the island: pick berries in autumn, discover herds of caribou or the packs of icebergs that drift past in spring, go fishing or visit the artist-in-residence programmes in similarly striking architect-designed buildings. This is a place to reconnect with the world; a stay here is transformative.

The Redbury South Beach, Miami, USA

After a total refurbishment, the former Fairfax hotel reopened last November as a fresh-faced, 69-room property. It may look like a bit of a runt in the shadow of Collins Avenue neighbours such as the 13-storey Delano, but as the smallest member of the SBE hotel group, it proves that bigger is not necessarily better. The edgy, playful design by Ashley Manhan includes black-and-white floor tiles and red Adirondack chairs in the central courtyard. Upstairs, corridors lined with grey-and-white wallpaper are punctuated with red, lemon-yellow and flamingo-pink doors. The bedrooms are big, with mirrored wardrobes, boxy Geneva alarm clocks and faux-vintage turntables with a stack of 78s. There are great views from the rooftop pool terrace, and a herb garden and bar are to be added this summer. Chef Tony Mantuano's restaurant, Lorenzo, produces sharing plates of pizzette, Nonna's meatballs and gnocchi with boar ragù.

FLASH POINT

With access to The Raleigh and SLS South Beach, this is a buy-one-get-two-free combo that's hard to beat.

Gangtey Goenpa Lodge, Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan

It may be a long journey to this remote new hotel in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, but you know you've made the right decision from the second you arrive. The vast, double-height lobby-lounge has an entire wall of glass with gripping views of the 17th-century Gangtey monastery, which appears to float above a wide, misty valley speckled with grazing yaks and ponies. Staff greet new guests with a song, a glass of mulled cider and a shoulder massage, which is a great start in anyone's book. The bedrooms are big, with wood-burning stoves, underfloor heating and a free-standing bathtub in a bay window for views of the monastery. Australian architect Mary Lou Thomson has created a seriously smart take on the rustic vernacular, with plenty of exposed stone, polished wood and local woven fabrics. Innovative touches such as inside/outside log fires make the private terraces usable year-round, and the kitchen uses organic ingredients to make slow-roast pork belly or exotic Bhutanese dishes such as ema datshi, a chilli-and-yak-cheese stew with wild mushrooms. The lodge makes a stellar addition to Bhutan's burgeoning hotel scene, established with such sensitivity and style by Taj, Aman and COMO.

FLASH POINT

The light, the staff, the celestial views: this is how it feels to be on top of the world.

Awasi Patagonia, Chile

In the adventurer's playground of Chilean Patagonia, intimate, eco-conscious newcomer Awasi shines brighter than the gleaming Lago Sarmiento it overlooks. Rather than being confined within the Torres del Paine National Park, Awasi stands on a ridge above 6,000 hectares of private reserve, giving a sense of space and solitude usually only afforded to the local gauchos. And make like a gaucho you will: the 12 secluded villas by architect Felipe Assadi are modelled on the cattle-herders' cabins, beer-blond log houses with corrugated roofs that gleam like silver fish in the forest. Inside, it's all grandpa armchairs and log fires, with king-sized beds centered so you can watch the dramatic landscape from your pillow. How to tackle the immensity of the natural surroundings? In total freedom: Awasi assigns each villa a private guide and four-wheel-drive on call 24/7. Gallop across the steppes, stargaze in secluded canyons, track the puma, then cosy up for cocktails in the main lodge, where you can feast on king crab and Austral hake.

FLASH POINT

For the chance to explore Patagonia on your own terms, Awasi is priceless.

Telephone: +56 222 339641Website:awasi.com. Price: Villas from about £1,260 per person for a three-night stay, including all meals, excursions and transfers

Domaine de la Baume, Provence, France

Don't be put off by the steep, unpaved road leading down to this ochre 18th-century manor, once the home of artist Bernard Buffet. A deeply comfortable 15-room hideaway revamped by hotelier Jocelyne Sibuet, it is an eye-catching mix of rustic and Italian baroque, from the open-beam farmhouse dining room to cosy frescoed parlours with fireplaces for afternoon tea, should the Mistral kick up. Upstairs, each suite is decked out with hand-picked antiques, toile de Jouy and pastel fabrics, four-poster beds and pretty prints of butterflies and birds. For the best hillside views, ask for the spacious L'Abeille (Bee) suite, named after a Buffet painting; the estate has its own beehives. You'll want to explore the leafy 99-acre grounds on foot, mountain bike or horseback, then laze by the pool or have a massage in the mini-spa cabin in the woods, near a whooshing waterfall. Chef François Martin cooks with ingredients plucked from the kitchen garden and drizzled with the house olive oil, whipping up dishes such as truffle risotto, lamb with purple-basil pesto, and roast figs with rosemary ice cream.

FLASH POINT

If you can tear yourself away from the dreamy terrace overlooking the valley, the medieval village of Tourtour is just a 10-minute drive away.

Andaz Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica

For the past 10 years, the Four Seasons has been the Papagayo Peninsula's only place worth staying at, but now Andaz - Hyatt's younger-sister brand - has totally upped the ante. Both hotels were designed by the Costa Rican architect Ronald Zurcher, but the Andaz feels fresher and funkier. Staff in turquoise chinos look like they've stepped out of a Gap campaign. There's a purple Volkswagen van to take you to the marina or golf course. The hotel is a mix of whelk-shaped public spaces and seven low blocks camouflaged into the hillside and prettied up with bamboo-covered walkways. Bedrooms feature lots of natural materials: laurel desks and wardrobes; driftwood panels above the bed; and a pebble-floored shower opening straight onto the balcony. Spend days paddle-boarding, kayaking, lazing by the pool and having spa treatments. At night, head to Chao Pescao, the hippest of the three restaurants, for tuna ceviche, yucca chips and expert bartender Clark's Cocomacaco cocktail of rum, pineapple and coconut milk.

FLASH POINT

Classy and cool, this is a real game-changer for the Guanacaste coast.

Hotel Escondido, Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Laid-back Puerto Escondido on Mexico's southern Pacific coast has long been a draw for surfers. With legendary breaks like the Mexican Pipeline as the main attraction, hotels were an afterthought. The arrival of Hotel Escondido on an untamed stretch of beach has changed that. Grupo Habita, known for its hotels in Mexico City, has created a surfer-inspired retreat that merges beachy freedom with comforts such as private plunge pools and in-room spa treatments. The 16 palapa-thatched bungalows are connected by pathways snaking through rock gardens, the unexpected shapes of organ-pipe cactus, spiky agave and velvety petals serving as sculpture. Each bungalow is positioned to catch evening breezes from the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains. The seclusion attracts a mix of TV stars, models and artists such as painter Bosco Sodi, whose nearby studio was designed by Tadao Ando. You can go horse-riding, help release baby sea turtles into the ocean or swim in a phosphorescent lagoon. The ever-evolving menu includes quesadillas fragrant with wild epazote, and yogurt topped with Hotel Escondido's own honey. At the bar, the drink of choice is mezcal: try a smoky Alacrán.

FLASH POINT

Your immersion into Oaxacan culture begins at check-in with a shot of tequila.

La Bandita Townhouse, Tuscany, Italy

New York-raised hotelier John Voigtmann has good instincts. When he came across an abandoned farmhouse in Tuscany's Val d'Orcia in 2001, he realised it offered a far better chance of fulfilment than his job as a record-company executive. Six years later, that farmhouse opened as La Bandita, a stylish, eight-bedroom retreat, and it proved hugely popular. Soon Voigtmann was scouting for another property, and he found it in the nearby town of Pienza, in the form of an ancient convent. Opened last spring, La Bandita Townhouse takes its cue from another bright idea: that the experience of waking up in a small Tuscan town and tuning into its laid-back rhythms is poorly catered for unless you rent an apartment. That's fixed here: the sounds of chatting neighbours and church bells filter gently into the 12 light-filled bedrooms, their contemporary furnishings contrasting with robust ceiling beams and exposed stone walls. Staying here is like joining a house party; come aperitivo time, you're likely to find yourself swapping advice about things to see, do and drink in the area with Voigtmann and his other guests. In the Townhouse Caffè, Glaswegian chef David Mangan puts local ingredients to good use in dishes such as hand-cut tagliatelle with lemon rocket pesto.

FLASH POINT

You know those cool friends of yours? They just bought a house in Pienza.

Butterfly House, Bahia, Brazil

A jungle retreat tucked between coconut palms and freshwater lagoons on Brazil's Maraú peninsula, this deliciously laid-back hotel may be an effort to get to, but boy, is it worth it. There are five bamboo bungalows on stilts, with private porches and grass roofs, and a further three sea-view suites in the main house. Owner Chloe Gibbs raided a Casablancan riad for beautiful tiles, and silk throws are sourced from the Atlas Mountains. Service is reassuringly slick. Tired of snoozing by the pool, strolling the beach or swinging in hammocks? The staff will organise yoga sessions, jungle quad-biking, surf lessons and boat cruises to waterfalls. The abundance of fresh lobster means you may eat nothing else, and so complete is the solitude, it's easy to forget that down the coast lies the hip hotspot of Barra Grande, a hangout for beautiful Brazilians and chic Notting Hill-billies tired of the show-and-tell of Trancoso and on the hunt for pure, unadulterated fun. Add live music in sandy squares and daytime discos that spring out of virgin rainforest, and you may just be in nirvana.

FLASH POINT

Maraú is still under the radar, so you have a good few more years before everyone else catches on.

Point Yamu, Phuket, Thailand

Christina Ong, the Singaporean hotelier behind the COMO group, must have hugged herself when she came across the empty shell of Point Yamu. Its developers had gone bust, so the place was up for grabs, fully built but undecorated, on the crest of a little headland jutting into Phang Nga Bay. She hired the Italian designer Paola Navone - a lover of uncluttered white spaces and artisanship - to do the interiors, and persuaded James Low, the general manager of her Metropolitan hotel in Bangkok, to come down and run things. The result is one of those places where guests arrive with all sorts of expeditions planned, then fail to move. Because of its elevation, a constant breeze ripples across the big pool terrace, the perfect place to settle with a book after a celestial breakfast. The monochrome scheme, punctuated with blue and flashes of turquoise, lends the lofty spaces an infectious insouciance. The only downside is the lack of a beach. Still, it's fun to chug off on a longtail boat to the beach club on a nearby island, so problem solved.

FLASH POINT

Point Yamu feels wonderfully secluded, but Phuket Town is only a 20-minute taxi ride away.

Vana, Malsi Estate, Uttarakhand, India

India's newest and biggest wellness retreat takes its name from the Sanskrit term van, meaning forest, as it's hidden in ancient Himalayan woodlands surrounding the city of Dehradun, 240km north of Delhi. The modern 90-room property, designed by Spanish architectural firm Esteva i Esteva, is on a 21-acre estate of mango and lychee orchards, and many rooms have uninterrupted views of the forest. Vana has 55 treatment suites, a great many pools, yoga studios and pavilions, a gym and tennis courts. There are more than 150 therapies to choose from, all drawn from traditional Indian, Tibetan and Chinese medicine. Delicious specialist menus are created from fresh organic produce, much of it grown in the kitchen gardens. The bedrooms are simple, with works by in-house artist Siraj Saxena; suites have private meditation rooms with paintings by Tibetan monks. The hushed soundscape is enhanced by the haunting music of Bhatti, the hotel's flautist, who also offers sound-vibration healing sessions.

FLASH POINT

This is one of the most talked-about spa openings of the year and it is exceeding expectations.

Telephone: +91 135 391 1114Website:vanaretreats.com. Price: Doubles from about £455 per night, including transfers, all meals, group wellness activities and a 75-minute individual treatment per day. Minimum stay three nights

Cheval Blanc Randheli, Maldives

Eight years on from the Maison Cheval Blanc in Courchevel, the second property from the LVMH group opened late last year. It was five years in the making, and it shows. The resort is entrancing, the finish impeccable. Its key colours of taupe and white blend beautifully with the natural tones of granite, stone and wood, cheered by sudden pops of lemon yellow. Look up in your immense villa (designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, who is having a massive year) and you'll notice that the rattan roof is exquisitely woven. In the bathroom, the magnifying mirror by Aliseo is the most powerful on the market. But it's the service as much as the design that will make you smile, from breakfast (a perfect buffet of delights) to dinner at Le 1947 (a sumptuous tasting menu) and treatments in the Guerlain spa (Indian head massages, facials, shiatsu). There's no more romantic way to travel than by seaplane, and the hotel has its own, bobbing at the quayside.

FLASH POINT

Cheval Blanc has set a new global standard; Aman's crown is no longer secure.

Chinzombo Lodge, South Luangwa, Zambia

Zambia's South Luangwa National Park is famous for running the continent's finest guided walking safaris, the first of which were set up by Norman Carr in the 1950s. The safari company he started is still known for its circuit of simple bush camps, from which guests set off to track game on foot. So the opening of this exceptionally smart lodge late last year signalled the start of a new era. Designed by the brilliant South African architects Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens (who created North Island in the Seychelles), it sits on the banks of the Luangwa River beneath a canopy of ancient trees. The lodge is very beautiful and comfortable, made in South Africa and assembled flat-pack-style in Zambia. The whole lot can be taken down and recycled without leaving a trace. The six tented suites are raised on platforms made from reconstituted timber, the beds cooled by an eco-friendly air-conditioning system. In the central mess tent there are carefully chosen books, cutlery and glasses, and big sofas covered in loose, natural fabrics. The dining area and bar is hung with framed photographs of Carr and smiling staff members, past and present. Banded mongooses scurry around, raiding red-ant mounds, and baboons saunter between the tents; in the evenings, elephants and giraffes come down to drink at the water's edge, and at night hippos lumber onto the river bank to feed on the sweet grass. It is a very comfortable spot to just be.

FLASH POINT

Two of the best guides in Zambia, Abraham Banda and Shadreck Nkhoma, work at Chinzombo.

Telephone: +260 216 246025Website:normancarrsafaris.com. Price: Suites from about £415 per person sharing, including all meals, drinks and activities

Hotel Hotel, Canberra, Australia

In a city that thrives on order, this 68-room hotel has a lot of swagger. Occupying three floors of the Japanese-inspired Nishi Building in the cultural zone of NewActon, it is laser-focused on Canberra's young-gun political advisers, minders and persuaders. The bedrooms are similarly configured but individually styled: there's a huge multicoloured wool tapestry in one; some have wallpapered ceilings and clay walls. Dozens of dusty suitcases (found by the owners in Mumbai) are stacked up against one wall in the bar, lit by a vintage chandelier from a 1930s Italian railway station. You'll find those hipsters with their briefing notes sitting at angular tables arranged like a jigsaw puzzle in the restaurant, where superstar chef Sean McConnell has been signed up to produce his signature shared plates. Or try A Baker for smoked duck breast, Jerusalem artichoke, maple, carrot and orange purée with summer beans and a local Nick O'Leary Shiraz (the emphasis is very much on regional produce). There are racks of design books, timber and concrete space dividers, and a multitude of surfaces on which to prop a nectarine Bellini and a plate of culatello. If you ask the concierge, he'll send you out on a specially commissioned Goodspeed bike with an excellent map of local hotspots.

Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai, China

If you want to hang out in the latest hotspot for Shanghai's smart set, then the gold-trimmed Riviera Lounge at the new Mandarin Oriental hotel is a good place to start. At the weekend afternoon tea, fashionable young things sip Longjing with delicate pastries. Joining them for dessert is a good way to experience New China chic in motion. Also causing a real buzz around town is the hotel's Yong Yi Ting restaurant, where emerging star Tony Lu is busy reworking regional cuisine with dishes such as shredded Shanghainese salted chicken with jellyfish, and chilled drunken fresh abalone with fox nut. Over at Fifty 8˚ Grill, the menu by chef Richard Ekkebus includes wood-fired steaks, and sea bass with Bordelaise sauce and bone marrow. The Mandarin Oriental group is famous for its spas and here there are 13 private spa suites for Shanghai's elite. Overlooking the Huangpu River, amid the sky-puncturing architectural tapestry of the Pudong financial district, the hotel is close to plenty of glitzy malls and the Shanghai Tower, the world's second-tallest building.

FLASH POINT

Segera Retreat, Laikipia, Kenya

There is no shortage of beautiful safari lodges on the Laikipia plateau, including the rhino sanctuary of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and art-filled Ol Jogi. But there is nothing like Segera Retreat, a contemporary collection of thatched wooden villas at the heart of a 50,000-acre property, with Mount Kenya rising in the distance. The retreat, as its name implies, isn't a camp but a wilderness escape, with inspired gardens - a jigsaw of weird cacti, waterfalls of bougainvillaea, sinuous salt pools and beds of exotic flowers - surrounding six two-storey villas, plus the larger Villa Segera and stone-clad Segera House. Each is different: one has a big outdoor bath carved from a single rock; another features photographs by Michael Poliza. Segera's owner, Jochen Zeitz, is also crazy about African art and it's everywhere: contemporary sculptures standing beside pools, installations in the converted stable block, paintings hanging in the wine tower. Like the art, the food is sensational and African-grown, and every meal is served in a different spot: by a pool, at a riverside picnic table, in the candle-lit stables. You can do what you like, when you like. One day, explore the solar-power and rainwater-harvesting plants (more fascinating than they sound) or learn about wildlife conservation in the little museum; another day, hike with a guide to spot elephants or lie by the pool after a massage, watching luminous sunbirds.

FLASH POINT

Segera is proof that it's possible to build something eco-friendly and luxurious that also supports the local community.

Website:segera.comPrice: Doubles from about £1,165 full board, including game drives, guided walks and other activities

The London Edition, UK

It might be unfair to call the Edition a restaurant with rooms, but you can't get away from the fact that Berners Tavern - chef Jason Atherton's latest opening - is the beating heart of the hotel. Along with the lobby cocktail bar, oak-panelled, reservation-only Punch Room and nightclub Basement, it has become London's buzziest new gathering place. Ian Schrager's considered, gimmick-free design has given the original stucco ceilings, marble columns and stained-glass windows of the old Berners Hotel lobby a funky edge, with emerald-green velvet sofas, antique billiard table (with queues to play), MacBooks lined up on a vast leather-topped desk and a blackened steel bar serving teeth-whistlingly good Elderflower Power Sours late into the night. Up the marble stairs, away from the thrum, bedrooms are Bond-slick, a Sixties reimagining of pale oak floorboards, walnut panelling and Schrager's signature floor-to-ceiling white muslin drapes. They are also spectacularly quiet. Buttoned-linen George Smith sofas sit alongside Scandinavian wishbone chairs, the minibar is stuffed with Amelia Rope chocolate and Crystal Head Vodka, and there's a single hydrangea stem in a jar on the bedside table. In other words, a perfect foil to the hubbub below.

La Maison d'Uzes, Uzes, France

Although La Maison d'Uzès is new, the building certainly isn't. This 17th-century house has been a private home, a post office and the dormitory for a girls' school. There is still a school next door, and during the week the hotel is reluctant to let out the rooms facing that way, lest the high-pitched hubbub of the playground disturb a guest's quietude. That may be taking things a step too far - it's a nice noise, after all - but it is also indicative of the deeply thoughtful service. There are just eight rooms, each one different. All come with an iPad-operated sound system: scroll around to some local oldie station, and soak up a bit of plangent Piaf while you shower. Then go down for a glorious breakfast: piping-hot coffee, dainty pastries, a lovely starfish arrangement of blood-orange and pink-grapefruit segments with a single raspberry placed in the centre. After breakast you could spend a day bumbling round the narrow cat-creeps of medieval Uzès, or head off to Avignon, Arles or Nîmes. Those better-known towns are all within easy driving distance; Marseille and the sea are only an hour away. But come back to the hotel's courtyard to enjoy an apéro in the buttery light of a French evening, and maybe have dinner in the hotel's fabulous restaurant, La Table d'Uzès. The amuse-bouche of a tiny foie gras macaroon is only the start of it.

FLASH POINT

A stylish new hotel serving stunning food in a beautiful and largely undiscovered corner of France? Bliss.

Jawai Leopard Camp, Rajasthan, India

This sophisticated, eight-tent camp is set in the Aravalli Hills, a comfortable three-hour drive from either Udaipur or Jodhpur. A stay here means avoiding both the crowds and the cumbersome regulations of India's wildlife reserves, while also getting a front-row seat on a fast disappearing way of life. In Jawai, white-bearded temple priests and red-turbaned Rabari herdsman live as their ancestors did for centuries, sharing their rocky surroundings with the wildlife. Leopards are regarded as sacred guardians of the ancient temples that dot the landscape; it is estimated that 30-50 live in the Jawai area. There are also Nilgai antelopes, crocodiles, Langur monkeys, wild boar and more than 100 bird species (including flamingos at the Jawai Dam), and the guides are knowledgeable and passionate. In the tented suites, local stone has been combined with smart stainless steel, leather and dramatic black-and-white wildlife photographs, and there are proper bathrooms with powerful hot showers. The camp's garden supplies fresh organic produce for robust Indian feasts served after cocktails in the evening.

FLASH POINT

There are now quite a few sophisticated safari lodges and camps in India, but none comes close to Jawai for extraordinary wildlife encounters.

Telephone: +91 11 4617 2700Website:sujanluxury.comPrice: Doubles from £385 including all meals and twice-daily game drives. Open September to June

Palihouse Santa Monica, USA

Those looking for old-school California glamour should check into this romantic new place from hotelier Avi Brosh. Opened last summer a few streets away from the Pacific, the gorgeous 37-room beach lodge is in a landmark Mediterranean Revival building that dates back to 1927, when Santa Monica was the last stop on the railway line. The sun-filled guest rooms, designed for families on a long stay at the beach, are all different, but each is wonderfully spacious, with lovely exposed beams, whimsical animal-print wallpaper, walk-in wardrobes and huge windows that open to let in the ocean breeze; some have kitchens. Striking design touches include work-bench desks, bell jars and mirrored dressing rooms. Although it's steps from the busy Third Street Promenade, various shopping arcades and the Santa Monica Pier, the location feels quiet and hidden away. The lobby - with its original mosaic floor and tasteful taxidermy - has nooks and banquettes for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea from the terrific in-house café (the chef shops twice a week at the famous Santa Monica farmers' market; dinner and bar service will be offered later this year). Visitors can also check out the hotel's Palifornia app, an insider guide to Los Angeles with curated recommendations on favourite beaches, bars, hikes and other fun.

FLASH POINT

Singita Castleton, Sabi Sand, South Africa

The most elegant safari lodges are usually either Out of Africa retro or airy and contemporary, with stone, plate glass and infinity pools. Singita Castleton is neither of these, yet so much more. Built in 1926 as a simple homestead for the Bailes family, it has been converted into one of the most extraordinary places in Africa by Luke Bailes, grandson of the original owner. Set in the private, 45,000-acre Singita Sabi Sand Reserve adjacent to the Kruger National Park, the exclusive-use property is surrounded by game-rich savannah overlooking a lake, which attracts elephant and antelope, with regular sightings of the big cats. It retains the atmosphere of a family farmhouse, with a stylish living area in the main house and bedrooms in six separate cottages. The design is pristine, practical, modern and unfussy. Butlers, chefs and game rangers are on hand, and a day's activities might include game drives, tennis, swimming, spa treatments and dining under the stars.

FLASH POINT

You can't take the African bush to your home, but Castleton feels like a home in the African bush.

Telephone: +27 21 683 3424Website:singita.com. Price: From about £3,970 per night for up to eight guests

Walk into the lobby of the Ace and you'll instantly feel the energy. A reception, coffee shop, bar and lounge rolled into one, it reverberates with the chatter of creatives - from students to CEOs - using it as a work space and meeting place. In the evenings, up-and-coming DJs play to a crowd drinking Sipsmith and tonic and chomping on brioche-bun burgers like they're at a private party. Unique artworks - sheet-music collages, photographic wallpaper and typographic prints - are everywhere, and the low-lit bedrooms have unusual touches such as denim bedspreads, hoodie dressing gowns and plastic crates instead of drawers. The fun is infectious. Brasserie Hoi Polloi - by the Bistrotheque guys - has a good-time atmosphere, too: tracks from Hot Chip, Tom Vek and Pet Shop Boys get toes tapping. Quite some effort has gone into making it effortlessly cool: waiters wear all-grey Nike Air Max and mint Sibling jumpers; when you've chosen what to eat (the crab salad is full of zing), read about milliner Stephen Jones on the back page of the menu. After midnight, when things properly get going, seek out the hard-to-spot basement bar (entry is from the street). It's a dark, stripped-back warehouse-style space with barmen in bobble hats and bobos dancing to disco, golden-age hip-hop and electro. When the rooftop bar opens it's bound to be summer's hottest hangout.

FLASH POINT

It's great for East London, with its buzzy galleries, boutiques and bars, that such a big, punchy hotel has taken root here.

You've probably never thought about staying in LA's Koreatown, but the Sydell Group - the team behind the Ace Hotels in New York and Palm Springs and the Freehand in Miami - have given you a shiny new reason to do so. A homage to the vibrant, resilient neighbourhood that re-emerged from the gang-war and race-riot fires of the 1990s, this 388-room hotel is a restoration of a 12-storey, mid-century modernist tower designed by Daniel Mann Johnson & Mendenhall. Working with street-food king Roy Choi, who is soon to open two restaurants on the premises, the hotel sets out to celebrate the 24-hour energy of the area, home to LA's densest concentration of late-night hangouts. A buzzing lobby bar is overseen by nightlife impresarios the Houston brothers, and a newsstand and boutique, Poketo, is curated by designers Angie Myung and Ted Vadakan. The rooms above are a soothing antithesis to the din, with cushy platform beds, views of the Hollywood Hills, and bathrooms reminiscent of the best Korean spas.

FLASH POINT This is shaping up to be the ultimate perch for night owls.

This used to be one of Gstaad's famously grand, formal hotels - and the best located, in its own park in the centre of town - until old Etonian Daniel Koetser and his interior-designer wife Davia bought and transformed it. Now it feels more like a luxury country-house hotel than a turreted, turn-of-the-century Swiss pile, with big reception rooms that manage to be both stylish, with bespoke furniture by George Smith and Soane, and eclectic - there's a life-size tweed camel in the lobby. And what's on offer is second to none: for families (kids' club, playroom, private cinema); for skiing (on-site ski hire, complimentary lift transfers, personal guides); and for wellbeing (an amazing subterranean spa with Bamford and Cellcosmet treatments, a huge pool, a gym and eight different steam rooms, from traditional hammam to Himalayan salt room). Even the hairdresser is a Swiss celebrity. Bedrooms are calmly decorated, with the best beds, TV and audio gear and in-room iPads. As for food, choose from a sushi bar, a cosy chalet serving fondue, and Leonard's, the Michelin-starred restaurant. With its zinc-topped circular bar and wonderfully comfortable, specially designed chairs and banquettes, the dining room is fashionably laid-back, with food to match: pitch-perfect sharing plates, risotto, Wiener schnitzel and bouillabaisse.

FLASH POINT The exclusive Gstaad Yacht Club is here, too, so great people-watching is guaranteed.

Amanresorts' first hotel in Vietnam is totally off-grid, a two-hour drive south of Nha Trang. The winding coastal road to get here is beautiful and deserted except for the odd cow, or a bride posing for pictures in a canary-yellow dress. Forested mountains are barely interrupted by the smattering of villas designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, with low oak beds and vast bathrooms, private infinity pools and red paper lanterns hanging outside sliding doors. Take a buggy down to the beach club and breakfast at smart round tables covered in putty-coloured cloths. The view is a sweep of sand and sea; the food is fresh fruit, homemade mango jam and a bakery basket of goodies still warm from the oven (pastry chef Arnaud previously worked at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Taillevent in Paris). Play tennis, sail a Hobie Cat or spend time at the spa: it's a revelation. The yoga pavilion sits on a lotus-flower-filled lake and there are daybeds on wooden platforms hidden among the trees, where you can sip post-treatment ginger-and-lemongrass tea. At night, tuck into seafood rice pancakes in the Central Pavilion as lights from the squid-fishing boat out at sea pierce the ink-black sky.

FLASH POINT Miles from the east coast's other hotel heavyweights, this is uncharted territory where you can zone out in style.

This new ski lodge from the Oetker Collection ( Le Bristol in Paris, Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d'Antibes) serves as the antidote to bling in the oligarchs' favourite winter playground. Instead of convoluted cuisine (the village already has seven Michelin-starred restaurants), Le Comptoir restaurant serves hearty slow cooking, and even the Champagne bar feels relaxed. The interiors are warm and timbered, with log fires and an understated Sisley spa. At a total cost of about £80 million, creating this sort of discreet luxury didn't come cheap, and the room rates are certainly punchy. But then there are 170 staff to serve just 53 guest rooms and suites and a private chalet next door. The ski-in/ski-out location in Le Jardin Alpin is sublime, and the hotel pool is surely one of the loveliest in the Alps. The rooms, decorated in muted colours, are cocoons of comfort after the rigours of Courchevel's 150km of ski runs.

FLASH POINT Discreet and smooth as honey, L'Apogée has saved Courchevel 1850 from becoming a terrible show-off.

After two years' restoration, the Prince de Galles (named after the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII) has rediscovered its Art Deco heart. It may have all the staff you could possibly need, but there's also a languid elegance here that makes any stay feel like a 1930s house party. All-day lounge bar Les Heures - the setting for breakfast, tea and cocktails - has the original pink-glass sconces modelled on the Prince of Wales feathers, and a restored mosaic floor. Vast windows open onto a central courtyard with soaring palm trees. The 159 suites and bedrooms, designed by the master of period cossetting, Pierre-Yves Rochon, are like mini apartments, with splendidly crafted striped macassar ebony, revisited Ruhlmann designs and period motifs. Some have terraces; a few have dressing rooms and rotunda hallways. A sure sign that the Prince de Galles is back in the Parisian psyche is the restaurant, La Scène, a slinky design by Starck acolyte Bruno Borrione that takes the stuffiness out of haute cuisine. And it's scène as in stage: the white marble tables and open kitchen serve as a theatre for chef Stéphanie Le Quellec's delicate creations, such as langoustine with green tea and herb sorbets.

FLASH POINT The hotel has made its comeback with assured elegance, and the restaurant is already a hot destination.

Expectations are raised when you're presented on arrival with a neon-lit Chinese moon gate, a Dalí bronze sculpture and two iron doors from London's Battersea Power Station. And Hotel Eclat doesn't disappoint. Art collections are a Beijing hotel trend, but this place wins for sheer diversity: a Warhol here, a hanging shark installation by Chen Wenling there and commissioned Timothy Oulton travel chests beside the beds. There are Fendi and Hermès bespoke bicycles, and giant photos of Beijing landmarks by Wang Guofeng along the corridors. But it's not all about art. The central location near Ritan Park makes it a brilliant base from which to access all areas of the sprawling capital. Book one of the pool suites for a typically non-conformist combination of cream-coloured Korean marble, dark-leather walls and geeky gadgetry such as 3D TVs and automatic back-massaging chairs. Out on the terrace, you'll find white sofas and a five-metre heated pool for a late-night dip. This is rock-star chic, Chinese-style. A restaurant, Alfie's, is a collaboration by the hotel with Alfred Dunhill in the adjoining Parkview Green mall, and serves classic British dishes in sumptuous dark wood and leather surroundings.

FLASH POINT No other downtown Beijing hotel offers such a blend of stylish bravura and personalised comfort.

Until Four Seasons moved in, the Lion Palace Hotel was known more modestly as the 'house with lions'. Not that it is modest at all. A huge triangular mansion with yellow façades and gleaming white columns, it looks like an enormous slice of neoclassical lemon meringue pie. The lions are two statues that have stood at the grand entrance since the house was built in 1820; they are known to all Russians because they figure in Pushkin's great poem The Bronze Horseman. Four Seasons has done everything possible to showcase this piece of literary and architectural history with an utterly sumptuous reinvention of 19th-century opulence. The Lobanov Presidential Suite even has a heated balcony so you can go out in your slippers in winter and admire the golden dome of St Isaac's Cathedral and the aquamarine frontage of the Winter Palace. But you could just as happily stay indoors and enjoy the foodie comforts: the Tea Lounge with its glass roof; the Xander Bar where you can sip a vodka cocktail and sample a few zakuski (the nibbles with which Russians like to take their drink); the pan-Asian Sintoho restaurant; or the Percorso, where chef Andrea Accordi (whose Prague restaurant won Eastern Europe's first Michelin star) serves spit-roasted duck with cherry and pink-pepper compote.

FLASH POINT The Palace harks back to a kind of tsarist splendour that's as unreal and seductive as St Petersburg itself.

Nothing seemed to have changed in Andermatt since the 1950s until this bold European debut from the Singapore-based hotel group GHM. The spa, on three levels and with a 35-metre pool and fabulous hydrotherapy zone, is indicative of the sheer extravagance of space here, including the bedrooms, each of which has its own fireplace. Architect Jean-Michel Gathy has introduced Asian elements: screens, subtle lighting, symmetry and pools (some destined to become ice-rinks next winter). He has worked a similar riff at Aman Sveti Stefan in Montenegro and the Aman Canal Grande Venice, both great successes. The main restaurant here is divided into sociable areas beneath a coffered wood ceiling, and the menu highlights Western (smoked-salmon cannelloni) and Eastern (chilli tiger prawns) dishes; the little Japanese restaurant has a sushi and sashimi bar. There aren't that many ski runs here yet, but the hotel is open all year. Egyptian owner Samih Sawiris is pumping £1.2 billion into the redevelopment of Andermatt, with plans for another five hotels, apartments and villas. The new golf course was already playable last summer.

FLASH POINT The year-round destination hotel Switzerland has always needed.

How to stand out among all the snazzy new hotels in London? First, find a place to call your own. For its UK debut, the Rosewood group has created not just a new hotel, but a new area: 'Midtown'. Whether you buy into the rebranding of Holborn or not, its location is actually quite handy, being a short stroll from Covent Garden, the British Museum and Oxford Street. This belle époque building was originally the home of Pearl Assurance (the company installed the seven-storey marble staircase) and more recently the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel. After an £85-million refit, the vibe is distinctly English-manor-house, with flat-capped doormen and jars of sweets in the lobby. The grey, taupe and cream scheme is jazzed up with Asian accents (lacquered furniture, Chinese porcelain cups in the bathrooms), and there's homemade sloe gin in the bedrooms. The library-like Scarfes Bar (lobster curries by day, killer cocktails by night) and the glittering Mirror Room (squishy chesterfields and a menu including rose veal tartare and seared foie gras) lie at either end of the bronze corridor separating the lobby from the outside world. The new Holborn Dining Room by ex-Ivy head chef Des McDonald adds a brasserie buzz, whether you're after a fish-finger sandwich or a slap-up steak.

You're in Dubai, so everything's a superlative: the tallest buildings in the world, the biggest malls, the sunniest beaches, the finest food. And The Oberoi is slap-bang in the middle of it all, making it a handy base when you're exhausted from all that shopping and sunbathing. This is a 252-room glass juggernaut of a hotel with whopping rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows so you can gaze at the shiny skyscrapers, baths you could do lengths in and beds so gigantic they could fit your whole family. Rid yourself of jet lag with a massage at the 24-hour Ayurvedic spa, take one of the daily 6pm yoga classes or lie by the infinity pool where you'll be presented with cubes of frozen watermelon and Evian face mist. There are Western, Indian and Arabic restaurants, but you can try all three at the hotel's Friday brunch, where there's a dedicated Mojito station and help-yourself tapas such as kingfish ceviche, wagyu short ribs and quail-egg bruschetta. It's all very grand, but somehow it manages to feel delightfully low-key, too.

FLASH POINT That famous Oberoi service, personal but professional, keeps everything ticking over expertly.

Marseille's year as European Capital of Culture may be over, but there's still plenty of celebrating going on at this sprawling, 194-room palace with vaulted ceilings, fantastic views and the buzziest terrace bar in town. Set back on a hill overlooking the Vieux Port - smack in the middle of a once cut-throat now ultra-hip neighbourhood - this former hospital has been utterly transformed by Jean-Philippe Nuel with a contemporary look of clean lines in soft grey, taupe and white. The suites have glass-wall bathrooms and big, arcaded private terraces for an evening pastis while soaking up views of the port and hilltop Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica in the distance. There's a vast Clarins spa and a heated indoor pool. The wildly creative chef Lionel Lévy heads up both restaurants: Les Fenêtres, a slick brasserie with floor-to-ceiling windows; and the more formal Alcyone, packed with smart locals who love the bouillabaisse milkshake, lobster with pistachio and guacamole, and mouthwatering Snickers-inspired pudding.

FLASH POINT The spa's signature Provence massage with lavender-infused oils is worth checking in for.

Discovering a little hotel that's at once cool, stylish and impeccably curated usually comes with a flipside: you have to dress up to fit in. Not so at Alavya, in chichi Alaçatı on the Izmir peninsula. Yes, it's the new go-to hidey-hole for the great and good of Istanbul, but the money is muted, the fashion (though high) is discreet, and egos are parked at the door, albeit next to a string of Bentleys and Mercs. From the decor (blond wood, heavy linens and monochrome sketches with an occasional bark of humour) to the intimate little spa and the smart but relaxed restaurant Mitu, the entire place is a meditation on chic. Stitched together out of six old village houses, it feels more like a hamlet than a hotel. In one room there are lofty vaulted ceilings, in another a four-poster, a sun-blushed balcony, an enormous hot tub. Get out and wander the café-clustered streets of Alaçatı. Lose a morning in the antique shops on Haci Memis street. Head up to Urla vineyard to taste wines winning Decanter awards by the case. Just make sure you're back by dusk for a poolside chat before everyone slips away for supper, while glowing lanterns swing silently in the breeze.

FLASH POINT It's not the first boutique hotel in Alaçatı, but it's the most heavenly.

In Rome, the best hotels are in the wrong places, as Byron complained. That changed last autumn with the opening of JK Place Roma in a quiet street off the intersection of via Condotti and via del Corso. Not that you would take the 17th-century building for a hotel, more the townhouse of cool young aristocrats. The entrance courtyard has been glazed over to create a contemporary living room ablaze with light and overlooked by statuary. Art is everywhere, and the glamour quotient high without tipping into pretension. All of which seems appropriate in this radical conversion of what was formerly the Sapienza university's school of architecture. The bedrooms, big by Roman standards, are done out in serene colours, with well-lit bathrooms in matching marble. JK Café, with its menu of revitalised favourites (carbonara, salt cod, puttanesca), is open to non-residents, and the effect has been to unleash a buzz of local gossip and youthful laughter that provides a better connection to the real Rome than the self-conscious isolation of other recent boutique openings. Perhaps this vivacious approach derives directly from the owners' experience of mixing fun and fashion at JK Place Capri, which almost single-handedly lowered the holiday island's centre of gravity.

FLASH POINT Perfect for a paparazzi-proof stay, and equidistant from the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon.

West 8th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues still shows signs of the gritty insolence that's been knocked out of the rest of Manhattan. Which is something that evidently appealed to the groove-cutting hotelier and restaurateur Sean MacPherson who's converted an old students' dorm into this Twitter-trending place to stay. There are 107 bedrooms in the narrow seven-storey building, all tiny (save the two penthouse suites) and gizmo-free, other than a basic phone and bog-standard TV. But my, they are pretty. MacPherson was inspired by traditional Parisian guesthouses, and he clearly has an eye for cake-icing mouldings, gold sconces and bevelled mirrors; the bathrooms are black-and-white-tiled studies in vintage glamour. The ground-floor lobby is low-lit, wood-panelled, warmed by an enormous fire in winter and well-padded with sofas and leather chairs; there's a retro espresso bar and plenty of art books on the shelves. At night the cocktail bar, around the corner from the main entrance, is busy with neighbourhood hipsters and out-of-towners ordering Double Rye Manhattans and Bohemian Sidecars at double-figure prices while waiting to slide into a booth at Margaux, the bistro, and order grilled lamb chops or buckwheat rigatoni.

FLASH POINT If you're after pint-sized style on a budget, this is the place.

This swanky new Regent has given the Sanur region some much-needed va-va-voom. Charlie Chaplin, Noël Coward, Greta Garbo and Elizabeth Taylor used to hang out here back when there were no roads or pylons and ladies still bathed topless. But it had got stuck in a time warp, with nowhere really decent to stay - until now. The over-scaled Regent is immediately impressive, with skyscraper-high ceilings in the lobby and an enormous courtyard dominated by a water feature with a temple on top. The spa is as peaceful as a starry night, and the treatments are delivered with the kind of tenderness and charm only found on Bali. Interiors are uncluttered and serene, mixing batiks, rattan and marble with a contemporary eye, and the bedrooms are huge, with lattice-screened balconies the same size. In the morning, the sound of traditional Balinese music calls you to breakfast at Layang Layang restaurant (terrific smoothies, fresh pastries, feather-light omelettes), where lunch and dinner are also served, from an intriguing menu that includes classic Indonesian sop buntut (oxtail soup) and be celeng mebese manis (braised pork in sweet soy sauce).

FLASH POINT The super-stylish Regent has upped the stakes in Sanur: other hotels take note!

Thompson Chicago is all about kicking back and feeling right at home. The hotel, which opened last October in a smart residential area, manages to combine striking architecture (exposed-brick walls, wooden beams and a contemporary central staircase) with the slightly edgy style of British designer Tara Bernerd. As with her work at London Belgraves hotel, Bernerd's use of plush fabrics and textiles (velvet, cowhide, flannel, tweed) creates an understated, elegant style that's both cosy and handsome. She has paid homage to one of the city's most beloved architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, using examples of his geometric tiles in the lobby. Bernerd has created a relaxed, informal style in the bedrooms with bespoke furniture and carefully chosen art, such as Flying Death by Wes Lang, inspired by rock'n'roll bike culture; and there are amazing views of Lake Michigan or the Chicago skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows. The Italian restaurant, Nico Osteria, serving rustic rigatoni and big-eye tuna, has been booked solid with excited foodies since opening day.

FLASH POINT Ask for one of the Lakeview rooms, where you can take in the vista from your bathtub.

Never mind the jade rabbits and deities that populate the folk legend woven around the Mira Moon: what you've actually got here is a swish, modish, Chinese-accented, 91-room hotel in one of Hong Kong's edgiest districts. Sister property to The Mira on the other side of Victoria Harbour, Mira Moon occupies a former office block, with just four guest rooms per floor. Hi-tech is not so much embraced as given a bear hug: room service and much else is writ large on the bedside iPad, Bluetooth allows you to play your own music, and Wi-Fi pops on the moment you open your laptop. The gizmos segue neatly with the bold interiors, which include tulip-shaped chairs and lanterns emblazoned with characters from Chinese mythology; service is efficient, and even the room attendants carry a business card. A Spanish and a Chinese chef vie with each other in the restaurant, while coffee and Chinese tea are served in the lobby (more of a salon, really). Mira Moon's location in Wanchai grants harbour views to the north, and raw urban vistas at other points of the compass.

FLASH POINT This is a 21st-century Chinese hangout with super-assured hospitality and a fun-filled vibe.

Park Avenue has never been over-endowed with great places to stay. The Loews Regency is one of the few, and it has great pedigree: its owners, the Tisch family, are one of the city's wealthiest clans, and the restaurant is renowned for its power breakfasts. But in recent years the clubby interior had grown dated and dowdy, and the place was dead in the evenings. Then came a year-long, $100-million renovation, and the hotel reopened its doors in January. The new look is bright and gleaming, with a strong Art Deco flavour: lots of mirror and chrome, a palette of black, white and grey, and masses of marble. The 379 rooms are very comfortable, and continue the Art Deco theme, but what sets them apart is their generous size and huge marble baths. The Regency Bar & Grill is buzzing again thanks to chef Dan Silverman, formerly of The Standard Grill, whose no-frills approach to quality meats and fish shines in dishes such as seared duck breast with dried cherries and pistachios. (There are also some knockout desserts, including a popcorn pot de crème.) Throw in an adorable tiled coffee bar from local favourite Sant Ambroeus and you've got a property aiming to be part of the city's lifeblood once more.

FLASH POINT There are cooler hotels in town, but for a grown-up, uptown experience, the Loews is your new best bet.

News that Amanresorts was taking over a historic palazzo on the Grand Canal had been bubbling under for years. When the 24-suite hotel finally opened last summer, it became clear what had taken so long. The late-Renaissance Palazzo Papadopoli is a Casanova fantasy of sweeping staircases, marble fireplaces and frescoed reception rooms. Restoring all this, while fashioning an Aman-style hotel out of the family home of Giberto and Bianca Arrivabene (who still live on the top floor) was a big challenge. It would have been easy to turn the ballroom or the library into bedrooms, especially with their Grand Canal views; instead they have been left intact, the first becoming the dining room of the hotel's Asian-Venetian restaurant, while the latter remains a quiet reading room. The sense of space (along with discreet service) makes guests feel they own the palazzo, if only for the duration of their stay. The bedrooms blend Venetian ornament with sober tones of grey, cream and white; in the Alcove Tiepolo you can lie in bed contemplating an original ceiling fresco by the artist. The small spa and not one but two gardens are welcome havens.

FLASH POINT Amanresorts has got the balance just right at this deeply calming sanctuary.

It's very odd that such a creative, cosmopolitan city as Lima has lacked a smart boutique hotel for so long. And there was trepidation among discerning limeños as to what this new venue might be like. As it happens, Hotel B is as refined yet artistically left-field as the bohemian neighborhood of Barranco it inhabits. The imaginary owner - dreamt up by interior designer Jordi Puig - is Florita Trista, a Peruvian aristo art dealer with a passion for travel and a habit of breaking the rules. Hotel B was conceived as Trista's private home, thrown open to display a dazzling collection of contemporary Peruvian art and highlight her exceptional talent as a hostess. There are sweeping marble staircases, fragrant bowls of fresh-cut roses and significant artworks (by the likes of Victor Rodriguez and José Tola) on loan from the de la Puente sisters, Hotel B's investors and founders of the ground-breaking Lucia de la Puente gallery which is connected to the hotel. Dramatic canvases dominate the white walls of the 17 high-ceilinged bedrooms. At breakfast in the library, waiters in crisp, white jackets serve coffee from silver pots and tamales à la carte, but it is the restaurant that's the real draw: a hit with chic locals for its yellowfin-tuna tataki and sultry candlelight, its also perfect for people-watching over Pisco Sours.

FLASH POINT Lima is red-hot: the food is worth the plane ticket alone, and now there's a place to stay with a direct connection to the city's vibrant art scene.

Verbier has always attracted a crowd of adrenalin-driven, hardcore skiers who like to party. The playful, urban edge of the new W slots into this scene perfectly, from the see-and-be-seen Living Room lounge, with its valley views and slick murals, to the leather-and-mirror Carve bar, a modern alternative to Verbier's famous but ageing Farm Club. And since it is right beside the resort's main Medran lift, guests can also practically ski into the hotel. The Amsterdam-based firm Architects Concrete (also responsible for the W London Leicester Square) has created a Manhattan vibe within a rustic, Alpine envelope by combining synthetic materials with wood, leather and stone finishes and lots of red. All 123 bedrooms, furnished with Eames classics, are big and have double-sided fireplaces separating bedrooms from bathrooms. Catalan chef Sergi Arola, whose Madrid restaurant has two Michelin stars, brings his pica pica style of dining to the Arola restaurant: sharing plates of porc Iberique presa with local ewe's cheese are served alongside the chef's signature dishes such as the cylindrical, deep-fried patatas bravas. There are ski-focused massage treatments at the AWAY Spa and a spectacular indoor-outdoor swimming pool.

FLASH POINT The W Verbier has taken branded hospitality on the slopes to an altogether funkier level.

It may not have the turreted twiddly bits of its neighbour, St Pancras Renaissance London, but this King's Cross landmark, reimagined by hotelier Jeremy Robson after 12 years in the doldrums, is a smooth-running sweetheart of a place. It's also so close to the station platforms you could get there in about three minutes. The vibe is private and clubby, smart and functional, with American walnut panelling, Anglepoise lamps and walls painted aubergine, olive or dusky blue. Check-in is a calm, quiet corner where you can catch your breath, and loungey GNH Bar is the sort of place to settle in with a Bloody Mary and potted Dungeness shrimps on toast (or you could dash to Kiosk, right on the concourse, for salt-beef sandwiches and other grab-and-run deliciousness). For those with more time, Plum + Spilt Milk is a heavenly little dining room with curvy, cream-leather banquettes and varnished resin tabletops lit by hand-blown glass pendant lights. Chef Mark Sargeant (formerly of Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's) produces updated British classics, such as a sensational roast Goosenargh chicken for two. Because the building is listed, the bedrooms remain compact (the smallest are modelled on railway sleeper compartments), but on each of the upper five floors there are help-yourself pantries stocked with tea, coffee and cakes.

'If you can keep your wits about you while others are losing theirs, the world is yours.' This loose paraphrase of 'If' by Bombay-born Rudyard Kipling is emblazoned in neon script at the otherwise discreet entrance to Abode. It's the city's first really smart boutique hotel, tucked behind the Gateway of India in the historic Colaba district. The sign might just as easily read: 'Stay here and Mumbai will be yours.' Hotel options in India's financial capital have until now been fairly charmless, and all at near London prices. Abode is the antidote. With just 20 rooms and set in historic Lansdowne House, it combines personal service, low-key luxury and the intimacy of a guesthouse. The loft-style café is a haven from the cacophony of the streets, but there's a sense of place everywhere: the floor tiles are Parsi, a nod to the importance of that community in Mumbai; the raffia blinds recall coconut groves and fishing villages. British co-founder Lizzie Chapman is an exponent of ethical tourism, so there are Parle G biscuits to hand out to street children, the shawls on sale are from a women's collective, and Abode only uses female taxi drivers, many of them single mothers.

FLASH POINT Check in and tune in: Abode is next to Mumbai's hottest galleries and restaurants.

Eleven brilliant designers worked on the three villas and penthouse at Iniala, and the results are eye-popping, mostly in a good way. Each room is different: a hanging bed, undulating wicker ceiling and gold-domed private spa here; a floor that moves like sand, china-studded wall or dazzling white marble bathroom there. Add a restaurant overseen by Spanish maestro Eneko Axta, a sensational pasty chef and a cool sommelier, and you won't want to share Iniala with anyone else. Each three-bedroom villa has a private spa, and at the end of the day - once you have finally rolled off the massage bed - it's rather delectable to wander over to the 22-seat private cinema (all shag-pile and air-con) or the games room with its Thai-boxing ring (plus instructor) and Swarovski-studded pool table, after depositing the children in their own quarters with fort and tree-house. With Phuket airport 20 minutes away, and a hotel next door for guest overspill, Iniala is perfectly pitched for a wedding or multi-generational family get-together - albeit on an oligarch's budget.

FLASH POINT Owner Mark Weingard donates 10 per cent of profits to his charity, the Inspirasia Foundation, which can only add to the feel-good factor.